Egypt has rejected a proposal by Israel and the West to allow Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula as fighting continues between the Israel Defense Force and resistance movement Hamas.
The Egyptian government is instead insisting that the blockade around Gaza be lifted to allow aid into the besieged area where tens of thousands have been displaced, more than 5 thousands injured while over 1200 have been killed as a result of heavy bombardment by Israeli forces.
The Egyptian government website said President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak and conveyed during that conversation “for de-escalation in the Gaza Strip and surrounding areas and the immediate creation of a pathway for aid”.
“President El-Sisi confirmed the need to ensure the regularity of humanitarian and relief services as well as aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The President reiterated the importance of pushing towards addressing the root causes of the crisis, and of working toward finding the appropriate political prospects to reach a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with approved international references,” read the statement.
The Egyptian government fears that once Gaza is abandoned, the Israeli government may not allow Palestinians to return.
South African-Palestinian Academic Haida Eid is among those trapped in Gaza and says there’s no way out for millions of people who are without water, food and electricity. “I am here with my wife and two small daughters. My flat was bombed by apartheid Israel. Israel has said that Gazans must leave. This is exactly what Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu had to say but we all can’t go anywhere because the border was bombed. Rafah is the only exit to the external world between Gaza and Egypt and it was bombed. The other six crossings are controlled by apartheid Israel. We have no food, no electricity, water and hospitals are bombed then the international community is standing idle supporting apartheid Israel and blaming the victim. What is going on right now is genocide,” said Eid.